Building a true partnership in the Asia-PacificFeb 06, 2009  · New Zealand’s trade with Japan is...

The Japan Times PUBDATE: 2/6/2009 PAGE: 6 C M Y K OUTPUT TIME: 16:33:6

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6 THE JAPAN TIMES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2009 (3)

New Zealand Waitangi Day

Safe, high-quality, natural produceNew Zealand Trade & Enter-prise is the New Zealand gov-ernment’s economic develop-ment agency supporting NewZealand companies exportingto Japan, and promoting NewZealand as an attractive desti-nation for foreign direct in-vestment.

New Zealand’s clean envi-ronment is the perfect placefor growing high-quality foodand beverage products, andapproximately 45 percent ofNew Zealand’s exports to Ja-pan are agricultural, includ-

ing kiwifruit, lamb, beef, ‘‘ka-bocha’’ squash, dairy prod-ucts, vegetable juices, fishand green shell mussels.

Due to its location in theSouthern Hemisphere, NewZealand’s seasons are the oppo-site of Japan’s, which gives usthe perfect complementary re-lationship with Japanese p r o -ducers: Japan needs to importalmost 60 percent of its foodsupply and New Zealand ex-ports approximately 60 percentof its food production. Japanplaces great importance on the

security of supply of high-quali-ty, safe imported food prod-ucts, so it is incumbent on NewZealand exporters to meet thehighest safety standards.

Other main exports to Japanfrom New Zealand are alumi-num, forestry products andcrude oil.

New Zealand Trade & Enter-prise will showcase 18 of NewZealand’s best food and bever-age companies at industry ex-hibition Foodex Japan 2009,held from March 3 to 6 at Maku-hari Messe in Chiba.

Building a true partnership in the Asia-PacificIan KennedyAMBASSADOR OF NEW ZEALAND

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W a i t a n g iDay is re-garded bymany asNew Zea-land’s Na-tional Day. Itc o m m e m o -rates thesigning in

1840 of the Treaty of Waitangibetween the British govern-ment and chiefs from NewZealand’s native Maori tribes.New Zealanders around theworld mark this importantdate in our young history, anduse it as a time to reflect onwho we are as a people and anation.

Over the years, The JapanTimes has very kindly recog-nized the significance of theday by generously providingspace for New Zealand am-bassadors to include a mes-sage to readers. It is my plea-sure to continue this tradition.I would like to take this oppor-tunity also to extend verywarm greetings to all New

Zealanders and our friends inJapan.

Our rich historical tapestrysits against a background oftwo predominant cultures —Maori and British — but NewZealand is now a multiculturalnation built on the basis of thatpartnership. On Waitangi Daywe reflect on the developmentof our nation as we share thegood will and optimism thatdefines the New Zealander oftoday.

Many people from all overthe world have chosen to makeNew Zealand their home be-cause of the promise that itholds. Whether they came byoceangoing ‘‘waka’’ or by sail-ing ship, or later by air, theyall came in search of a betterlife and to live in peace. MarkTwain once described NewZealand as a country settledby ‘‘people who stopped off ontheir way to heaven thinkingthey had arrived.’’

Today New Zealand is verymuch an Asia-Pacific nationand our relationship with Ja-pan is among the most impor-tant we have with any country.Our connections span over 150

years during which New Zea-landers and Japanese haveworked together in manyfields based on common val-ues and shared interests to thebenefit of both countries, andthe wider world.

New Zealand’s trade withJapan is substantial andstrong, based on complemen-tary economies. Japan is theworld’s biggest food importerand New Zealand is one of theworld’s leading exporters ofhigh-quality, safe food prod-ucts. Traditionally, the Japan-New Zealand trade relation-ship has been characterizedby New Zealand sales to Japanof food and commodities, andJapanese sales to New Zea-land of industrial goods, espe-cially cars and electronics.Both our economies are evolv-ing as they must do for ourgoods and services to continueto attract a high-value premi-um.

In the food sector, New Zea-land is no longer simply a com-modity producer. We are posi-tioning ourselves as a supplierof high-quality, value-addedfunctional foods that are pro-

moted for their health bene-fits. New Zealand hasstrengths also in tourism andniche manufacturing. The in-augural Japan-New ZealandPartnership Forum held in To-kyo in May last year was animportant new business-ledinitiative to ensure that thetrade and economic relation-ship keeps pace with changesin the world’s most dynamicregion in which we live.

Our strong trade relation-ship is underpinned by closeand vibrant people-to-peoplelinks. There are 48 sister-citylinks, matched by the samenumber of friendship societiesthroughout Japan, which con-tribute to healthy interchangecovering educational, culturaland sporting events. New Zea-land also highly values the op-portunity provided for ouryoung people to experienceJapan under the JET pro-gram, the Working HolidayScheme and the Youth Good-will Cruise program. Lastyear a new generation ofyoung New Zealanders visitedJapan for the first time underthe Future Business Counter-

parts Invitation Program, anew initiative of the govern-ment of Japan that we greatlywelcome.

In today’s global financialcrisis, New Zealand is not ex-empt from the internationaleconomic downturn and facesthe prospect of more difficulteconomic times ahead. Thegovernment is committed tomeet these challenges throughstrong fiscal and monetary ac-tion at home, and by workingcollaboratively with like-minded partners abroad to re-store business confidence andbuild renewed momentum foreconomic growth.

In the midst of the currenteconomic uncertainty, thestrength of the relationship be-tween New Zealand and Japan,our shared interests as part-ners in the Asia-Pacific region,our commitment to the multi-lateral system, and our sharedbelief in the creativity and re-sourcefulness of our people pro-vide good grounds for optimismthat there are opportunities al-so as well as challenges to takethe relationship to an even high-er level.

Food production partnership progressesWhen the New Zealand andJapanese prime ministersmet in Tokyo in May 2008, theyrecognized that ‘‘New Zealandis an important supplier offood’’ and that ‘‘Japan is a netimporter.’’ Behind this state-ment lies a long-standing part-nership between the two coun-tries in food.

Strong business relation-ships exist between Japaneseand New Zealand farmers andfood companies, supplying NewZealand food products to Japa-nese consumers and strength-ening Japan’s agriculturalbase. Underpinning this coop-eration is a shared commit-ment to food-safety systems ofthe highest quality.

Successful joint venturesand investment are on the in-crease. Cooperation betweenkiwifruit farmers in New Zea-land and Japan has developedrapidly, based on different

growing seasons in each coun-try.

Since 2001, New Zealand ki-wifruit producer Zespri has li-censed Japanese kiwifruitgrowers in Shikoku and Kyushuto grow Zespri Gold kiwifruit tosupply the Japanese market in

New Zealand’s off-season.New Zealand has extensive

expertise in pastoral farming.Each year, farmers from Hok-kaido visit New Zealand tolearn about pasture manage-ment. Their efforts to introducegrazing on Hokkaido help to re-duce Japan’s dependence on ex-pensive imported feed. Thereare also productive links inflower growing and berryfruits. Access to the sales net-work of New Zealand’s flowerindustry has helped Japanesegrowers to develop new inter-national markets. In berryfruits, there is increasing coop-eration between growers, com-panies and end-users in Japan’shealth and food industry.

Shaun Conroy, who headsNew Zealand’s Economic De-velopment Office in Tokyo, be-lieves that there are many op-portunities for new forms of co-operation between Japan a n dNew Zealand. ‘‘Japan’s stronglinks to New Zealand’s food in-dustries are a useful hedgeagainst future instability inworld food markets, such as wesaw in 2008,’’ he said.

World’s first ‘green’ tourism scheme a hit in JapanNew Zealand’s world-leadinggreen tourism verificationscheme, Qualmark Green, hasbeen recognized, and is beingactively promoted by Japanand Asia’s largest travel agen-cy, JTB.

A launch held Oct. 16 at theNew Zealand Embassy in To-kyo was attended by JTBPresident and CEO HiromiTagawa, together with NewZealand Inc. representatives,including Tourism New Zea-land General Manager Opera-tions Tim Hunter, Air NewZealand Deputy CEO NormThompson and AmbassadorIan Kennedy. The event repre-sented the beginning of aunique partnership betweenTourism New Zealand, AirNew Zealand and JTB in Ja-pan.

‘‘The Qualmark Green-ac-

credited luxury tour to NewZealand is the first of its kindin the world, providing a rangeof environmentally sustain-able New Zealand travel prod-ucts in one package,’’ said Ta-gawa.

‘‘New Zealand is the onlycountry in the world with sucha robust quality-assessmentprogram incorporating strictenvironmental sustainabilitypractices, fully supported byits national airline.’’

‘‘Qualmark Green, com-bined with Air New Zealand’sworld-leading research anddevelopment of biofuel, car-bon-offset program and envi-ronment trust, and other in-dustry initiatives, means NewZealand is truly taking a sus-tainable tourism leadershipstance on the world stage,’’said Tourism New Zealand

Chief Executive George Hick-ton.

Owned by Tourism New

Zealand and the New ZealandAutomobile Association, Qual-mark is New Zealand’s official

mark of quality for tourism. Itis a quality-assurance accred-itation system, including stargrading of accommodations,and an endorsement systemfor visitor transport, serviceand activities. Visitwww.qualmark.co.nz andw w w . r e s p o n s i b l e t o u r -ism.co.nz for more informa-tion.

Qualmark CEO Geoff Pen-rose said the development ofthe JTB tour, including topperformers in the field, waspositive evidence of the levelof trade interest in what the in-dustry is delivering.

JTB’s ‘‘Royal Road’’ tourpackage, using an eco-luxurytheme, almost exclusivelyfeatures Qualmark and Qual-mark Green-accredited tour-ism operators in New Zea-land, including Millbrook Re-sort Queenstown, HukaLodge in Taupo, The Lan-gham Hotel in Auckland,Johnstons Coachlines andReal Journeys in MilfordSound.

Bearing fruit: A Japanese farmworker inspects kiwifruit.Working together: (Left to right) Air New Zealand Deputy CEONorm Thompson, JTB President and CEO Hiromi Tagawa, NewZealand Ambassador Ian Kennedy and Tourism New ZealandGeneral Manager Operations Tim Hunter are pictured during apromotional event Oct. 16 at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo.

Cultural appetizer: A Maori group performs at the New Zealand Pavilion at Foodex Japan 2008.